Where Support Can Lead: Braxton Mayhew
The long-term payoff of consistent support is clear in the story of Braxton Mayhew, a Communities In Schools of Greater Greensboro (CISGG) student who has now graduated from Elon University.
Mayhew was mentored from third grade through high school in CISGG’s African American Male Initiative (AAMI), where his longtime mentor, Lee Staton, played a major role in shaping who he became. Along the way, he earned a full tuition scholarship to Elon through the DeJoy-Woś Odyssey Scholars Endowment, a program of the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Woś Family Foundation that offers high school students tutoring and exposure to leadership, business, and cultural experiences.
His commitment to showing up was just as striking. From grade school through high school, Mayhew missed only two days of class. At Elon, he studied business with an eye toward a career in the global film industry, where he hoped to become a producer, director, and industry leader who could help aspiring filmmakers. His guiding goal, he has said, is “giving back.”
Mayhew’s path began with consistent mentoring and support, and with the everyday things students need to feel ready to learn.
A Mentor Who Stayed
At the center of Mayhew’s story is a relationship that lasted nearly a decade. Through AAMI, CISGG paired him with a mentor who stayed in his life from elementary school through high school. Mayhew has credited that connection with helping him grow as a person and shaping who he became.
That kind of steady presence is what CISGG aims to provide. Through school-based coordinators, the organization works to line up the resources and relationships students need, so they can focus on learning instead of the obstacles around them.
Attendance, Opportunity, and High Expectations
Mayhew’s near-perfect attendance reflects another cornerstone of CISGG’s work. The organization focuses on attendance, behavior, and coursework, along with family engagement, because students who show up and stay engaged are far more likely to succeed.
CISGG also helped connect Mayhew to opportunity beyond the classroom. Its partnership with the DeJoy-Woś Foundation helps identify promising local youth for preparation as potential DeJoy-Woś Odyssey Scholars at Elon University. For Mayhew, that connection and his own hard work led to a full-tuition scholarship. He has said the support he received from the Foundation changed his life, and that he can still reach out to its leaders today.
